Podcast Summary: "And That's Why We Drink" – Listener Stories Vol. 114

Hosts: Christine Schiefer & Em Schulz
Date: April 1, 2026
Theme: Aliens & UFO Encounters (Listener Stories)

Episode Overview

This episode of "And That's Why We Drink" centers on listener-submitted stories about aliens and UFO encounters, chosen by listener Taylor (she/her). Christine and Em share drinks, witty banter, and their typical mix of skepticism, delight, and genuine fear as they dive into chilling stories from fans. The ambiance is lighter than usual, peppered with asides about Tai Chi, astrology, yoga, and the joys (and horrors) of aging joints—but once the stories start, things get seriously otherworldly.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Pre-Story Banter: Yoga, Martial Arts, and Astrological Observations

Timestamps: 02:24–13:36

• Christine & Eva/Em chat about trying out qigong and yoga at the YMCA, feeling competitive with parents, and the eternal struggle of beginner yoga classes.
  • Christine jokes about her mom’s competitiveness in yoga:

    “If we're going to be doing qigong and you're going to get competitive with me, like, I don't know, we're going to have a really weird spiritual experience." – Christine (04:23)

  • Em (Eva in transcript) ponders finding suitable beginner classes and the insecurity of “balance” with age.
  • Discussion of astrology signs, especially Leos and Aries, and their fiery personalities.
• Segue to Listener Stories:
  • April Fool’s Day jokes and threats to turn the episode into a 45-minute Tai Chi talk.
  • Excitement over listener Taylor’s choice of “Aliens and UFO Encounters” as the theme.

Listener Stories Segment

1. “My UFO / E.T. Experience” by Alicia (she/her)

Timestamp: 20:39–23:11

• Synopsis: At age 12, Alicia saw a slender, nude, opaque-skinned creature outside during a family Bible study. After chasing it, she was missing for 30 minutes—but her family didn’t notice.
  • “The weird part starts here… my family hadn't even noticed I was gone.” – Alicia (21:47, quoted by Christine)
• Hosts’ Reaction:
  • Both are impressed and unsettled, discussing the lost time component, and note the irony of reading "Revelations" during the event.
  • Christine:

    “So to be reading Revelations, I mean, really, that is like a very bizarre experience.” (23:27)

2. “Aliens Crashed Our Wedding” by McKenna & Christian

Timestamp: 23:30–28:49

• Synopsis: On a night drive from Idaho to Nashville before their 2019 wedding, McKenna & Christian saw four lights in the sky forming a tilted square/rhombus hovering low (about 50ft up) by an army base—before vanishing when a semi-truck honked.
  • “When I looked back in the rearview mirror, the lights were gone.” – Christian (26:58, quoted by Eva)
• Hosts’ Reaction:
  • Christine wonders if the semi-truck “saved them from getting abducted.”
  • Both discuss the connection to the famous 1955 Hopkinsville alien encounter, which occurred near the same area.

3. Alien Implant Mystery (Anonymous/“Alex”)

Timestamp: 29:47–41:08

• Synopsis: Years-long family mystery: several relatives have a painful, nerve-wrapped “scar” or “bump” on their leg with no incision. During an MRI, a family member’s leg is pulled hard toward the machine (shows it’s magnetic). An electrical signal tester registers 30 watts from the bump—100x stronger than a cellphone.
  • “Put it right over the bump. 30 watts.” – Alex (36:22, quoted by Christine)
• Missing Time & Possible Abduction:
  • The bump appeared after seeing lights circling a bath skylight, the person losing time, and waking in a cold bath.
• Hosts’ Reaction:
  • Both are creeped out; Em quips:

    “Cut it out. Literally cut it.” (36:22)

  • Christine expresses concern over alien “anti-theft” design and references reports that removal can be fatal.
  • Both ultimately warn against any DIY surgery:

    “Seriously. Do not cut open your body. That is not what we’re advising.” – Christine (38:53)

4. “Was I Almost Abducted by Aliens in West Virginia?” by Virginia (she/her)

Timestamp: 45:05–54:21

• Synopsis: Solo road-trip through Kentucky & West Virginia. After stopping for gas, Google Maps inexplicably tries to guide Virginia up a dark mountain road, away from the highway. Instinct tells her something is wrong. She turns back; later discovers she was near Flatwoods, home of the famous “Flatwoods Monster.”
  • “It felt eerie and wrong at the time in a way I really can’t describe.… This felt unsafe for no apparent reason. Always trust your gut.” – Virginia (53:44–54:15)
• Hosts' Reaction:
  • Discussion of intuition as a survival sense, especially from a seasoned solo traveler and backpacker.
  • Em and Christine agree West Virginia is “the most likely place to get abducted.”

5. “My Mother is an Alien” by Megan (she/her/May Gemini)

Timestamp: 55:07–57:34

• Synopsis: Listener’s mother, a lifelong UFO believer, often said Earth was a terrarium and “God was an alien.” Diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2017, a “bright star” appeared above town the night of her diagnosis. When she died, the star vanished; family joked the “mothership” had come for her.
  • “That night, I spent my night at my aunt’s house drinking fireball and laying on the floor. At one point my aunt went outside to have a cigarette and came in yelling, ‘They came to get her and took her to the home planet!’ The bright star in the sky had disappeared the same night mom left.” – Megan (56:35)
• Hosts’ Reaction:
  • Both are moved and touched by the poetic connection; Christine notes how open-minded she would have been growing up with a mom like that.

6. “Alien Encounter” by Taylor (she/her)

Timestamp: 58:18–64:27

• Synopsis: At a house party around 2018, Taylor and a friend, mildly buzzed, step outside and see “a thousand tiny lights connected by string” moving in impossible ways above the street. The lights suddenly condense and vanish behind a parked car—only for a small barefoot child to walk out from behind it.
  • “A child that was probably three or four walked out from behind the car at the back end. The child walked at a fast pace in a completely straight line, wasn’t wearing shoes, was completely alone, and I believe he had his hands in his pockets.” – Taylor (61:20)
  • Taylor’s friend confirms years later: “Yes, damn aliens.”
• Hosts’ Reaction:
  • Christine:

    “How many children of these toddlers are alien spaceships?” (61:41)

  • Deeply unsettled by the idea of “lights condensing into a human,” and speculate on shapeshifting, black-eyed children, and possible alien mimicry.
  • Em:

    “It seems like it was trying to emulate a human not knowing that three-year-olds… I wonder if children are easier to, like, emulate because they're smaller.” (64:07)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you have anybody in your life who wants the joy of feeling cozy or soft or warm at night or protected by the most gentle cloth that the angels knit themselves, then get them a Lola blanket.” – Eva (01:34)
• “We should have just not done stories and just kept talking about Tai Chi for 45 minutes and then hung up.” – Eva (11:58)
• “It looks like your nervous system senses danger… If you're familiar with the woods and sleeping out there in the wilderness and you're unsettled by something in nature, I feel like there's something unsettled.” – Christine (51:41; 54:29)
• “The day that Allison sees a ghost, honestly, might be the scariest day of my life, because I'm like, oh, that means it’s real for sure, right?” – Em (29:38)

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• Initial Banter/Wellness, Yoga, and Martial Arts – 02:24–13:36
• Announcement of Alien/UFO Theme – 13:36–14:01
• Merchandise Brainstorming (EMF Mug, Ghost Hunter Collection) – 14:26–17:22
• Listener Story 1 (Alicia: UFO/ET and Lost Time) – 20:39–23:11
• Listener Story 2 (McKenna & Christian: UFO at Wedding Drive) – 23:30–28:49
• Listener Story 3 (Alex: Alien Implant) – 29:47–41:08
• Listener Story 4 (Virginia: Near Flatwoods, WV Glitch) – 45:05–54:21
• Listener Story 5 (Megan: Mother the Alien) – 55:07–57:34
• Listener Story 6 (Taylor: Tiny Lights, Child in Street) – 58:18–64:27

Tone & Style

• Playful, honest, and occasionally self-deprecating, the hosts’ rapport is a highlight.
• A balance of humor and genuine empathy, especially when addressing stories about fear, loss, and the supernatural.
• Frequent asides and diversions into personal anecdotes, astrological profiles, and ironic takes on getting older and spiritual exploration.

Conclusion

This episode delivers an unsettling and entertaining blend of the unexplainable, the humorous, and the heartfelt. Listeners hear stories of lost time, mysterious lights, magnetic implants, close encounters on lonely highways, and the possibility of loved ones boarding the "mothership" when they die.
If you love UFOs and stories where the plausible turns surreal, this is an episode not to be missed.

Next Episode: More listener stories May 1st.
Final words:

"And that's why we drink."